St. Sebastian's Church, Alleppey

St. Sebastian's Church is a prime site for Christian pilgrimage. St Sebastian is said to have built this church in the first century. One of the only seven other churches to be established by St. Sebastian, this church has a celebrated history.

The most famous festival associated with this church is the Arthunkal Perunnal ('Arthunkal' is the village in the district of Alleppey where the church is located and 'Perunnal' means feast), a ten day fest held in the honour of its patron, St. Sebastian.

The grand event includes a procession of the poised statue of St. Sebastian to and back from the nearby beach. Some devotees, following the ancient custom, crawl from the beach all the way to the altar and humbly invite the saint out for a procession, after which follows the gaeity.

This festival is believed to be blessed by the goodwill of the Divine discerned by an eagle which circles the sky during the time of the fest every year, without fail. This festival is celebrated in January every year. The church is 23 km away from Alleppey but is well-connected in terms of transport.